In this reading journal I will post the contents of and my thoughts on any books I read, regardless of whether or not I liked it or even finished it.

Friday, February 7, 2014

GRETEL AND THE DARK

TITLE:
GRETEL AND THE DARK

AUTHOR:
ELIZA GRANVILLE

Pages:
358

Date:
06/02/2014

Grade:
5+

Details:
Received from Hamish Hamilton

Through Nudge

Own

“‘Yes,
life is hard,’ whispers Erika, ‘but knowing about other people, other
civilizations, other ways of living, other places – that’s your escape route, a
magical journey. Once you know about these things, no matter what happens, your
mind can create stories to take you anywhere you want to go.’”

Vienna,
1899. When Benjamin finds a thin, naked and injured young woman he brings her
to his employer, the celebrated psychoanalyst Joseph Breuer. The girl claims to
have no name and no feelings. In fact she insists she is an automaton without
feelings, on a mission to kill a monster before it grows too big. Dr. Breuer is
intrigued and decides to find out who the girl is and how she ended up in the
dishevelled state she was found in. It is a mission that will put young
Benjamin in terrible danger.

Years
later in Germany young Krysta is trying to make sense of her life. Her mother
has killed herself and when her father is ordered to work in an infirmary with
the ‘animal people’ she finds herself all but abandoned by everybody who has
ever cared for her. When her father dies as well, Krysta is dropped into a
nightmare. Her only escape comes in the form of stories and fairytales; those
she’s been told over the years, those she tells herself and those she hears
from the people she’s forced to live among now. It is Krysta’s imagination that
gives her the strength to keep going; that will make survival possible for her
and Daniel, the boy she meets in the middle of hell.

Two
stories that appear to have little or nothing to do with each other until
suddenly they do and create a magical ending.

This
is one of those breathtaking books that have you wondering what it is you are
reading until the moment when all is revealed and you know you’ve just read
something amazing. This is a truly original story that will break your heart
only to put it back together again and leave you feeling uplifted and
enchanted.

When
I’d read the first 100 pages in this book I still had absolutely no idea what
exactly the story was about or where it might be going. I was also completely
engrossed in the narrative. The writing is smooth and very descriptive and
draws the reader into a world that doesn’t appear to be real and yet is painted
so clearly it almost glows off the pages. It is like seeing something from the
corner of your eye only to have it disappear when you turn to look at it
straight on.

It
is impossible not to get caught up in the two stories. Poor Krysta’s life is so
filled with pain, loss and lack of compassion it breaks your heart and makes
you want to cheer for the bad mannered girl who refuses to allow the uncaring adults
around her to bully her. The story of the girl found in Vienna on the other
hand, feels more like a fairytale; a magical but rather dark fantasy.

There
are recognisable connections between the two stories almost from the start, but
nothing prepared me for the revelation of how they were connected. For me, it
was nothing short of brilliant. And that is all I can say about it without
spoiling the extra-ordinary reading experience this book gives the reader.

For
me personally this book holds an added bonus. Some of the books described in ‘Gretel
and the Dark’ are titles I
recognise from when I grew up in Holland. I devoured the Winnetou and Old
Shatterhand stories by Karl May when I was a teenager and the book of
instructional tales for children described here is one that could be found on
the shelves in my childhood home. I’ll never forget that story about the girl
who played with matches and was surprised and delighted to find it referenced
here.

This
is a book about stories and fairytales. About the power of words and the magic
that allows us to use our fantasy to deal with the things life will throw at
us. This is a story about love and what it is capable of. This book will
enthral you long before you know what the story is about and will keep you thinking
for days after you’ve finished reading it. This is a book for everybody who
loves stories and reading.

‘Gretel
and the Dark’ is nothing short of an amazing
reading experience.

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About Me

My name is Marleen. I'm Dutch but have been living in Ireland for well over 15 years now. I have a passion and love for reading and books. Since early 2008 I have been lucky enough to have been working part time in the library in Bailieborough, Co. Cavan where among other things I run the library reading group.
I will read almost anything that has words in it, and post my thoughts on everything I read in this blog:

Review Disclaimer

In this blog I write my thoughts on every book I read. Some I will have brought home from the library, some will have been bought while others will have been sent to me for review. I do not get paid for reading and reviewing any books and all opinions are mine and mine alone. Whether a book was borrowed, bought or received will be indicated at the top of every review.

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